Switch operating mechanism



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' J. HAHN.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

Patented Mar. 18, 1890-.

INVENTEIR 274 56 v WITN E55 E5 n. PETERS. Phclo-Lilhngnphzr. Washington. a. z;

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. J. HAHN.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

Patented Mar. 18, 1890.

WITNESSES n, PETERS, PmLilbognpl-mr. Wnhingym. ac.

' upon a suitable cable.

JOHN HAHN, or

PATENT OFFICE.

NEW YORK, N. Y.

SWITCH-OPERATING VMECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 423,556, dated March 18, 1890.

I Application filed August 16, 1889. Serial No. 320,969. (No model.)

proved Switclr-Operating Mechanism, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for automatically setting a switch by means of a pull The cable is pulled by suitable devices operated, preferably, by the locomotive or other motor, which, however, forms no part of the present invention.

The invention consists in the various features of improvement morefully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of my improved switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a top view of the box '6 showing it open. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the rails-ct; Fig. 4., a detail view of the lever Z. Fig. 5 is a top View of box 77.,showing main track closed; Fig. 6, a side view thereof; Fig. 7, a section on line :1: as, Fig. 5; Fig. 8, a top view of box h, showing side track closed; and Fig. 9, asection on line 1 y, Fig.8.

The letters a a represent the twomovable rails of a switch.

I) b are the rails of the main track, and c c the rails of the side track.

d is a cable to which tension is applied by levers operated by the locomotive or in other manner. This cable is'secured by means of arms 6 e in box e to a rod 6 which it draws out against the action of a spring 6 in box 6 The rod e is secured to a slide or block f, having a projection or nose f at its end, bearing against either side of rail 19. This project-ion thus serves as the switch-block device which holds the switch in place until it is drawn inward by rod 6 as described.

The slide f, when drawn in, as described, by bearing against the lever g, vibrates said lever around its fixed pivot g. To the lever 9 there is attached a rod h, passing through a box h and surrounded by a spring h ,The rodh is provided at its free end with a head h as shown. It is moreover surrounded by a recessed slide j, and between the head it and the slide j there is interposed a loose movable tongue j which rests upon an incline j on the bed-plate of box h. Across the slidej there is stretcheda pin or stop 7' upon which one end of the tongue sets. Thus this end of the tongue is always held up; When the rod h is drawn, as described, (by the vibration of lever g,) the head It will bear against a tail-piece 7' of the tongue j Thus the tongue will be pushed against a shoulder 3' of slide j and move the slide in the same direction as the rod h has been moved. During this pushing motion of the head the tail of the tongue is held up over incline j by beingthe head arrives at the catch. As soon as the slidehas passed the catch, the latter flies up to arrest it. (A shoulder may be used to limit the backward motion of the slide, so as to prevent overdrawing of spring h At the moment the catch it has flown up the pull on cable (1 ceases and the spring h is at liberty to throw the head h forward into its normal position. (Shown in Fig. 6.) The slide j of course stays back and the spring It remains compressed; but the tail 7' of tongue j being no longer pressed between the parts 71. 3, and

thus held upward, drops down below the lower sides of the slide and head. Thus at the next motion of the head h such head can come into actual contact with the slide, as described further below.

The slide j is slotted at one side, and into this slot enters one end of a lever Z, pivoted toa fixed support by a pin passing through opening Z. The lever Z has a slot Z into which enters a pin Z depending downward from one of the rails a. Thusby the motion of the slide the lever Z is vibrated and draws the rail a into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which it connects the main tracks I).

If the switch is to be set to the side track, a pull on cable (Z will cause the head h to travel inward. As the tailj is no longer in the path ofthe head, the latter is free to move over the catch it, so as to depress it. As soon as the catch has been depressed, it liberates the slide 3'. At this moment the pull on the cable 01 ceases and the spring h will push the head 71. forward into its original position, while the spring h being now liberated, will push the slide j also forward into its original position. The slide will carry the tongue 3' with it and up the incline 3', so that the tail j, is again raised, when the parts assume their position of rest, Fig. 9. Thus the parts are in proper position for the next setting of the switch to the main track. Thejust-described motion of the slide will have caused a vibration of lever Z, and this in turn by bearing against pin Z as described, causes the rails ato be shifted, so as to make connections with the side trackj Of course the rails ct a are connected by the usual cross-piece m, so that the motion imparted to one rail by the slideis transmitted to the other rail. To this rod on is connected a rack 'm, that sets the signal m The object of the spring 6 is to take. any sudden strain off the mechanism that maybe caused by a sudden pull on the cable d.

On the right-hand side of Fig. 1 I have shown a star-Wheel n, which maybe engaged directly by the locomotive. Thestar-wheel in revolving turns a drum which winds the cable, and thus operates the switch.

It will be seen that by my invention a pull on the cable closes the side tracks or the main tracks, according to the previous position of the switch.

What I claim is v 1. The combination of a lever g, operated by a cable, with a rod hsecured thereto, and with a slide operated by said rod,and with a lever l, operated by the slide and adapted to set the switch, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a slide j with the rod h, having head 72/, and with the springcatch is, adapted to be depressed by the head and to lock the slide, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of slide j with rod h, having head 71 and with the tongue j and the spring-catch is, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a slide operated by a cable with a rod having a head, a tongue, a spring-catch, and a lever connected to the slide and operating the switch, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of block f with alever g, a rod h, connected to said lever, a slide j, and a lever Z, vibrated by the slide and adapted to operate the switch, substantially as speci- 6. The combination of slidej with rod h, having head It, and with catch is, and tongue j resting upon an inclined plane 7' and engaging a stop 3' substantially as specified.

JOHN HAHN. Witnesses:

F. v. BRIESEN, GEO. V. HANN, 

